Homecoming a walk down memory lane

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Both Mary Pearce of Huntsville (in stripes) and Judy McGuigan of Comox, B.C., shed a few tears after running into each other for the first time in 25-30 years. The pair knew each other as teenagers and went on to work together at a local law firm.

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(From left) Adah Gibbs of Georgetown, and Robert and Muriel Hart of Georgetown chat with Tina Gibbs-Broccolo, who came all the way from Newfoundland.

Memorial Arena was the centre of Georgetown’s social scene for one last time as the old rink played host to Homecoming 2013 this past weekend.

Hundreds of former residents came from across Canada and the United States to join current Georgetownians for a weekend-long celebration of all things Georgetown, which included a wine and cheese, a dance, hikes, historic walks and tours.

Kelli Brooks of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, was one of the attendees who travelled across the country for Homecoming. Although many things have changed since her last visit in 2007, some have remained the same.

“Norval has completely changed and there’s a new water tower,” Brooks says. “But there’s still no place like home.”

Phil Hyde of Red Deer, Alberta, has fond memories of his childhood in Georgetown.

“In those days, you walked everywhere,” he says. “The town was your playground. It was a good place to grow up.”

The main motive behind Homecoming 2013 was to say farewell to the Memorial Arena, which was decommissioned earlier this year and is slated to be torn down. After opening in 1922, the arena became the centre of Georgetown’s social scene, having been the site of countless hockey games, figure skating shows, wrestling bouts, rollerskating nights and more. The farewell started on Friday night with a wine and cheese at the arena, and continued on Saturday night with a dance featuring live music by local bands. The rink was a sea of hugs, handshakes, laughter and tears as old friends reunited.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how emotional this is,” says a teary Diann Turkington of Fort Erie, Ontario, who ran into many friends she hadn’t seen in decades.

For Craig Lawrence of Georgetown, the weekend was emotional for a different reason. His grandparents used to run the Memorial Arena and he spent a lot of his life within the old brick walls.

“My whole family worked here,” Lawrence says. “My grandmother served hot chocolate at the canteen and I used to run back behind the bar to steal chocolate bars.”

Dave and Gerry Kentner also spent a fair share of their time at the Memorial.

“The atmosphere in here on Friday nights when the Raiders were playing was electric,” Gerry says. “My girls loved running around the arena. It was a safe haven for them.”

Dave remembers rushing to the arena after school to get the best seats for the Raiders game. He also remembers spectators bringing bottles of alcohol to the games and dropping the empties into the arena’s cinderblock walls. When the arena walls come down, he is going to be on the lookout for that special glass “insulation.”

Between the video and photos projected on its walls and the historical vignettes acted out by Georgetown Little Theatre members on its rink, the Memorial Arena was the definite star of Homecoming 2013.

“We all grew up (at the Memorial),” says Georgetown resident Debbie Smart. “It will be sad to see it go.”